Hundreds of unionized workers rally against provinces decision to cut public sector wages

Hundreds of pubic sector workers and others rallied in front of the Saskatchewan Legislative building on Wednesday against wage cuts.

Many could be heard chanting, “no ifs, no buts, no public sector cuts.”

The Sask Party announced this week, to help reverse a $1.2 billion deficit they would be cutting public sector wages by 3.5%.

The announcement was met Wednesday with hundreds of protesters on the Legislative Grounds over the noon hour with signs expressing their disagreement and in some cases anger towards the Wall government.

Some even went as far as to craft a fake jail cart with Premier Brad Wall and other MLA’s and Cabinet Ministers inside it as prisoners, claiming they were stealing their money.

Barbara Cape President of SEIU West said these cuts are not the way to fix the deficit.

“This 3.5% introduction that they’re inviting us to entertain at the bargaining table, how that impacts someone making $20 an hour, which is the average wage of my membership is the equivalent of two unpaid weeks per-year, and our members can’t afford that,” Cape said.

Saskatchewan MLA’s will also be taking a 3.5 per-cent cut to their pay, something Cape said does not affect them the same way it will many public sector workers who do not make nearly as much money.

“Their desire to reverse the $1.2 billion dollar deficit is not going to happen over night or even in a year, this is a knee jerking action.” Cape added.